


It's Emma's First Christmas

by FixitDWF



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi High, Degrassi Junior High
Genre: Christmas, Family, Friendship, Holidays, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-10 22:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8942017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixitDWF/pseuds/FixitDWF
Summary: They say miracles always tend to happen at Christmas time, and one could certainly happen to one Christine Nelson and her little baby daughter Emma with help from her fellow classmates and the wonderful, caring staff of Degrassi Junior High





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PugMaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PugMaster/gifts).



It was the last day of school before the Christmas Holidays began at Degrassi Junior High and everyone was extremely excited for it.

Well, almost everyone.

Christine Nelson, otherwise known to many of her fellow classmates as “Spike” wasn’t exactly too keen on this year’s festivities.

She was extremely stressed out, not only about her latest marks in many of her classes, but also about how she would be able to give her six month old daughter Emma a fantastic first Christmas which was only five days away.

Getting a job was simply out of the question due to the fact she had NO experience in anything that was available out there and what little jobs that were offered to kids her age barely paid well to begin with.

She simply couldn’t ask her Mom for any money either because they were just barely getting by as is with keeping the hair salon business up and running as well as maintaining the rent and utilities of their small apartment.

As for Shane, what little he gave to her from his own allowance in terms of ‘child’s support’ went straight to a package of diapers and six jars of baby food that barely kept them secured for less than two and a half weeks.

Once they were all bought, there was barely any money left over to get anything else, let alone save up for certain special events such as the one that was quickly approaching.

Christine was so lost in thought that she didn’t even hear the bell ring to signify lunch hour as the rest of Mr. Garcia’s Grade Nine class quickly began filing out of the classroom towards the cafeteria.

“Spike!? Spike, come on! It’s lunch hour.” Erica Farrell replied as she and her sister Heather gently shook Christine’s shoulders.

“Huh? Oh....thanks.” Spike mumbled as she slowly got up from her desk and followed the Farrell twins out the door.

“Are you OK, Spike? You’ve been lost in thought for most of this morning.” inquired Heather. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just got a lot on my mind.”

“Is it about your grades?” asked Erica.

“Yeah, but I truly wish that was it. I really want to do something special for Emma’s first Christmas, but I’ve got no money to do so. Shane only offers me twenty bucks and that goes straight into diapers and food. I can’t ask my Mom for any money cause she has her own expenses to deal with, such as keeping us within house and home as well as her hair salon business up and running. She barely has enough left over for groceries once both are paid off.”

“What a drag! I wish we could do something to help you out Spike.”

“Thanks Heather, but it’s too late. We only have five more days left til Christmas and I feel so horrible not being able to do anything about it. A baby’s first Christmas should be a magical, special time. The first of many memories and moments to treasure and yet here I am at a complete and utter loss.”

“Don’t be Spike. It’s not your fault. Times are tough for a lot of people these days.” Erica concluded as they finally reached the cafeteria. “Wow, talk about a holiday overload!”

The entire cafeteria was fully decorated to the hilt with tons of garland of every colour hanging over door frames along with strands of Christmas lights, stockings with staff members’ names written on the front were taped upon the wall, paper chains, wreaths, hanging foil shapes of snowflakes, stars and colourful circles, Christmas Cards given to Degrassi from various organizations and community services thanking them for whatever they had been involved in, a hugh ‘Peace On Earth’ sign and to top it all over, a very large Christmas tree stood front and centre packed with even more garlands, ornaments, lights and popcorn strands with a large snowflake crowning the top!

“Yeah, I’m starting to feel for the poor custodians who have the unfortunate task of taking all this stuff down when the holidays are over! Hey, there’s Liz. I’ll save you guys a seat!!” said Spike as she rushed over to Liz’s table and sat down. “Hey Liz!”

“Hey Spike, I couldn’t help but notice how spaced out you’ve been for most of this morning. Is everything alright?” Liz asked with concern.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I just got a lot on my mind right now, that’s all. I was just telling the twins how horrible I feel for not being able to get something special to commemorate Emma’s first Christmas.”

“Why not just make something instead? There’s more to Christmas than just spending money, you know!”

“Yeah, I know that Liz, but still it would be nice if she had at least something to look forward to and treasure for the rest of her life.”

“Merry Christmas, Ladies!” greeted Doris Bell, the school’s secretary as she sauntered past their table back towards the front of the cafeteria.

“Merry Christmas, Doris!” Spike replied back with a smile. “The school certainly has gone overboard this year on the decorations, haven’t they? I think we’ve got enough garland and lights here to decorate at least twenty dozen Christmas trees! Erica called it a holiday overload when we all walked in here.”

“I’d say. Maybe they should focus more on getting the furnace fixed instead.”

“Yeah, it sure is hot in here.”

“You got that right Spike! Hey Liz. The twins should be along shortly. They’re just paying for their stuff now.” said Lucy as she sat down next to Spike. “So, you guys all set for the holidays?”

“No. Personally, I can’t wait for this whole thing to be over. Christmas is so overrated, we don’t really bother with it. My Mom says it’s just a hassle having to put everything up only take it all down again a week later. What’s the point?” exclaimed Liz as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“Not really.” Spike replied with a sigh. “What about you, Lucy? Are your parents home for the holidays this year or are they busy with work again?”

“Thankfully they are home this year which is nice for a change. I’m actually looking forward to this year’s festivities.”

“Hey guys, Erica just came up with an excellent idea.....tell them!” Heather exclaimed as she and Erica finally joined Lucy, Liz and Spike for lunch.

“Alright, I was thinking maybe we could all be together for the holidays, right here at Degrassi!”

“That sounds great Erica, but how?” asked Lucy. “Wouldn’t we be needing some kind of special permission to hold such an event?”

“OK, here’s how we’ll do it. After lunch, Heather and I will go up to Mr. Lawrence’s office and talk to him about our idea. If this works out and he says yes, we’ll all be able to celebrate the holidays together as one and really make this a very special Christmas to remember!”

“But what about our families Erica? I’m not sure many would actually go for this idea. Remember, those same parents wanted me kicked out of Degrassi when I was pregnant with Emma for ‘setting a bad example!” Spike asserted.

“Oh yeah.....I forgot. Well, I guess it’ll just take a lot of convincing! Come on, it wouldn’t hurt to at least try, right?” said Heather.

“It sounds crazy, but I’d say go for it! I wouldn’t mind spending the holidays with all you guys! Besides, I got nothing else better to do with my time for two weeks!” replied Liz.

“Alright then, wish us luck!” said Erica, crossing her fingers.

“Good luck! Anyway, on another note....thank goodness those exams are finally over!” declared Spike, starting a new conversation.

“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine, you always do well in math!” Heather assured. “You got the best mark last year!”

“Well, last year I had time to study!”

“Come on Spike, a baby can’t take up that much of your time.....”

“Are you kidding, Heather? You have to pay attention every minute!”

“You make her sound like a monster!” Erica said with a laugh.

“She seems like one, sometimes. I don’t even know if I’m going to pass any of my exams. My marks are way down this year. I might flunk.”

“No way! Ms. ‘Straight A’ Nelson?” Lucy asked, giving Spike a gentle nudge with her elbow.

‘ _Would Christine Nelson, please report to Mr. Lawrence’s office. Christine to the Principal’s office.’_ Doris Bell announced over the P.A.

“That’s me....” Spike grimaced as she got up from the table and began leaving the cafeteria, but as she made her way towards the doors, she bumped into her ex-boyfriend, Shane McKay.

“Hey Spike. How’s Emma?” he asked with concern.

“Fine!” She spat, storming off.

“She won’t even let me see her!” Shane groaned to his friend Bryant Lester Thomas shortly after Spike had left.

“Forget about the baby, man! Just because you support her, doesn’t mean you have to worry about her all the time.”

“But she’s my responsibility too...I’m her Father! I don’t know why she’s being so cold to me all of a sudden. She’s been like this ever since the day we found out she was pregnant. We used to be going steady but now she totally hates my guts for it and I seriously don’t know why! It was just a big mistake that technically shouldn’t have happened!”

* * *

 

“Doris, Mr. Lawrence wanted to see me?” asked Spike as she walked into the main office.

“Oh, yes. Christine, your babysitter had just stopped by to drop Emma off, she said she had an emergency and needed to attend to it immediately. Something about her Father being in an accident....Uh, Bruce? Christine is here to pick up the baby.” replied Doris as she rolled her chair over to Mr. Lawrence’s door.

“Ah, yes....” Mr. Lawrence began as he carefully made his way out of his office carrying the bassinet with the baby laying inside, semi-wrapped in a yellow blanket. “She’s very adorable, Christine.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Are you going to be alright carrying her back down to the cafeteria again by yourself?”

“Yeah, I should be Mr. Lawrence. Thanks again!”

“No problem!”

“Oh, and Christine, if there’s anything else we can do for you, then please don’t hesitate to ask.” Doris added in before Christine had fully left the room.

“Thank you Doris. I will.” Spike said with a smile as she then left the office and slowly began making her way back towards the cafeteria.

* * *

 

It’s been nearly ten minutes since Spike had been called up to the office which has now got the girls really worried for she still hadn’t returned back yet.

“She’s been up at Lawrence’s office now for a while. You don’t think she flunked, do you?” Heather asked.

“No way, it’s too soon!” replied Lucy.

“She worked so hard...” added in Erica. “It wouldn’t be fair!”

Suddenly Liz stood up from her seat, looking over at the cafeteria doors just as Christine finally walked in. “Hey, there she is! And look who she’s got!!”

“It’s Emma! Quick, let’s clear some room so she can set her down.” said Heather as Lucy and Erica pushed their lunch trays aside.

“What’s Emma doing here?” asked Lucy as Spike carefully set the bassinet down.

“Well, the girl that minds Emma during the day, her Dad got into an accident.” replied Spike as she sat down. “Oh, he’s OK but she had to go tend to him so she dropped Emma off here. Looks like she’s about to become Degrassi’s latest attraction!”

Instantly, the entire student body had surrounded Spike’s table just to see and admire the little bundle of joy, gasping in amazement and laughing at every cute thing she did.

“Just think, this is her first Christmas ever!” cooed Alexa. “You must be so excited, Spike! I know I would be. She’s so sweet!”

“Yeah, I guess.” Spike replied back as she tried to mask the uncertainty and sadness in her voice.

Even through she had told the Farrell Twins and Liz about her true feelings towards the holidays this year, she really didn’t want anyone else to know about her ordeal.

The last thing she needed to become on top of already being a typical teenage mother was also a charity case among her peers as well.

Keeping on a brave face, she looked up from Emma to see Shane McKay sitting a few tables down from hers, slowly nursing a can of pop and staring right back at them.

“Where can I get one of these?” she could hear Joey asking.

“I don’t think so!” Heather laughed, obviously answering Joey’s question.

‘Typical,’ Spike thought to herself. ‘He’s so concerned for Emma’s well being yet doesn’t even bother to come over here to see her like everyone else has...’

“ _We apologize for the problems with our heating system. We are doing everything we can and I am confident the temperatures will return to normal very soon. That is all!”_ Mr. Lawrence announced over the P.A system.

After a few good minutes had past, the crowd of students eventually returned to their own seats to finish what was left of their lunches, finally giving Shane the opportunity to approach Spike’s table and hopefully see his daughter for the first time.

“Hi Emma.” he murmured, brushing her cheek gently which grabbed the attention of Spike, the Twins, Lucy, Liz and Alexa, who took a step back with respect for some reason. “Can I hold her?”

“No.” was Spike’s immediate, cold reply.

“Please, Spike? I’ve been helping with supporting her for the past four months now with half of my allowance. I think it’s only fair that I get to spend some time with her.”

Spike turned to the Twins, Lucy and Liz for some kind of reassurance.

“Come on, Spike. It wouldn’t hurt to let him hold her at least for a little while. He is her father after all and he really has stepped up and taken some form of responsibility. Most boys wouldn’t even do just that!” Erica replied.

“OK, but only for a bit.” Spike said as she got up from her seat, gently taking Emma out of her bassinet and carefully placing her into Shane’s arms. “Make sure her head is protected.....”

Emma let out a small cry as Shane took hold of her.

“Hey Emma, it’s Daddy!” he cooed as he then went back to his seat, cradling and rocking her gently.

“That was nice!” replied Heather as Spike sat down again.

“That’s so beautiful!” said Alexa, nearly close to tears.

“They look good together.” added Liz.

“Yeah, they do!” said Spike.

Shane was thrilled to finally see and hold his daughter for the very first time as he looked up at the girls and smiled.

“He sure is happy.” said Lucy. “Is this really Shane’s first time seeing and holding his daughter?”

“Yeah, don’t ask why that is thought. I really don’t care to explain it at the moment.”

Everyone nodded just as the cafeteria door opened, grabbing Alexa’s and Joey’s attention.

“Oh, hey there’s Louella.....looking very exhausted and dirty. I wonder what she has been doing all this time to get that way?” Alexa asked as she watched the janitor grab a drink from the fountain.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll find out shortly. Leave it up to Joey to know the gritty details!” Lucy replied as the girls chuckled.

“Hey guys, Louella fixed the furnace!” Joey announced to everyone. “Not bad for a woman!”

“Oh, come on!” yelled Spike, throwing a chip at Joey as he quickly ran by their table.

“Women can do anything guys can do just as well!” added in Erica.

“Don’t be so sexist, Joey!” Liz called out!

“Yeah!” added in Lucy and the Twins.

“Goofball!” Louella growled just as the bell rang to end lunch.

Shane carefully got up and walked over to the girls’ table, gently putting Emma back in her bassinet.

“There you go, Emma. Thanks for letting me hold her Spike.”

“You’re welcome.” Spike replied with a smile as Shane began to walk away.

“Well, Heather and I are going to head up to Mr. Lawrence’s office now. We don’t really know how long we’ll be through so if Mr. Garcia asks, let him know we’re at the Principal’s office.” said Erica as she and Heather began making their way to the cafeteria doors.

“I will....and good luck you two!”

“Yeah, totally! I hope all works out and he goes with it!” replied Lucy. “I think it would be super awesome to celebrate the holidays right here at Degrassi with all our closest friends!”

“Same here!” added in Liz.

* * *

 

“Hi Doris. Is Mr. Lawrence in? We’d like to speak to him about something.” replied Erica as she and Heather entered the main office.

“I’m sure that won’t be a problem....hold on a second.” Doris began as she picked up the phone. “Mr. Lawrence, the Farrell Twins Erica and Heather are here to see you if that’s alright with you?”

“Send them in.” answered Mr. Lawrence as Doris hung up and motioned for the twins to go ahead into his office.

“Thanks Doris.” the girls beamed as they opened the door and walked in.

“Heather, Erica. Come on in and have a seat. What can I do for you on this wonderful last day of school?”

“Sir, we have an idea. We would like to spend Christmas vacation right here at Degrassi!” Erica announced.

Mr. Lawrence couldn’t believe his ears. “You want to.....but I thought you guys were so desperate to get away from this place. Now you want to spend the holidays right......is there a reason to all this?”

“It won’t be just us, Sir. What Erica is trying to say is that we want ALL of Degrassi to spend the holidays together right here. The staff, faculty, students and all of their families.” exclaimed Heather.

“Oh, uh well....um, that’s a mighty big order to fill there at such a last minutes’ notice. I’m not exactly sure we’ll be able to pull it all off. In order to have such a request such as yours fulfilled, we’ll have to get in contact with the School’s Superintendent, plus have permission by our Head Custodian, Louella Hawkins. I’ll give our Superintendent a call first and see what she has to say. Then we’ll go from there. Just give me a few minutes here....” Mr. Lawrence addressed as he picked up the phone and then went through his rolodex to find the number for the Superintendent, carefully dialing the numbers one by one.

“ _Hello, Toronto District School Board of Education. This is L. Manne speaking. How many I help you?”_

“Yes Hello, this is Bruce Lawrence speaking from Degrassi Junior High School calling, I was wondering if W. Watson is available by any chance?”

“ _Well, she’s just about ready to call it a day and head off for her holidays, but I’m sure we can still catch her before she leaves.”_

“Oh, OK....please? That would be wonderful. Alright, I’ll hold. Not a problem.” Mr. Lawrence replied as he then covered up the mouth piece with his hand. “You girls are very lucky to have come to me with such an idea.....our Superintendent was just about ready to call it a day and head off for home. They’re paging her now, reasons why I am on hold.”

The girls simply nodded as they waited patiently.

“ _Hello Bruce, what can I do for you today?”_

“Hello Mrs. Watson, we have a bit of a proposition here. This is going to sound a little crazy but just hear me out. I have two students here who would like to have the entire staff, faculty, students and their families spend Christmas holidays right here at Degrassi Junior High School. I know this is all last minute and I apologize for that, it had just come to my attention now.”

“We just came up with the idea during lunch.” Erica added in, causing Heather to shush her.

“Erica, he’s on the phone!” She scolded.

“Yes, the student who came up with this just said they came up with the idea during lunch hour. Yes. Absolutely. Really? OK, alright I will let them know. Thank you so much Mrs. Watson and have a wonderful Christmas. Same to you. Bye-bye.” Mr. Lawrence hung up the phone.

“WELL?” the girls asked in unison.

“Well, Mrs. Watson has no issues with us spending Christmas here, as long as we have full support from our Head Custodian first.”

“Oh no.....”

“How will we be able to get that?” Heather inquired.

“Now, now girls. Don’t get discouraged.....all I have to do is page Louella through the P.A system.

‘ _Would Louella Hawkins please report to the Principal’s office immediately. Louella Hawkins, report to the Principal’s office immediately.’_ Now we wait! She could be in the boiler room or out doing random maintenance throughout the building.”

Within seconds of the announcement, the office door opened revealing Louella, this time her arms, hands and face were no longer dirty except for her work shirt and carrying with her a little bundle of joy in her right arm.

“You’re lucky I was already in here fixing up something for Doris. I apologize for my rather unprofessional appearance right now. I had spent most of my lunch hour doing a temporary fix on the furnace. Notice it’s not so hot in here now? Also, um....don’t mind the baby. I sort of ‘offered’ my services in babysitting for Christine the rest of the day so she can enjoy some much needed time relaxing with her fellow classmates. Besides, I don’t think this little angel here is much into parties. She was causing quite the fuss. Anyway, what do you guys need?”

“That’s quite alright, Louella. Have a seat! We have a bit of a proposition for you.”

“Hello Emma!” Erica greeted, waving to her and tickling her chin as soon as Louella sat down beside the twins.

“OK, now this is going to sound a little bit crazy here Louella, but just hear us out. These girls here would like to have all the staff, faculty, their fellow classmates and their families celebrate the holiday season right here at Degrassi Junior High.”

Louella was instantly taken aback by the request.

“Really? Is there any reason as to why you would rather spend Christmas right here instead of being at home with your own families?” Louella asked, looking puzzled.

“Yeah, there is. You see we came up with this idea for Christine’s sake. Truthfully she can’t give Emma a proper Christmas and she feels really bad for it. We figured if we could all be as one and celebrate the holidays here at Degrassi.....” Heather began.

“Then she won’t feel as bad as if she were to spend it at home with just her mother and nothing....” Louella finished.

The baby cooed and squealed, flailing her little tiny arms and legs about with happiness, making everyone in the room smile.

“You know something girls, when Christine was going through her pregnancy last year, I truly did not want to have her removed from this school. But because of the parents feeling she was setting a bad example for her peers, I had no other alternative than to go along with their decision. To this day, I still feel really bad for it. All students have the right to an education, regardless of situation they are in so if this is what you truly want......Louella, we already have the blessings from Mrs. Watson, our Superintendent. She’s perfectly alright with us being here for the holidays so long as nothing gets damaged, but we just need your permission to make it all official. By the way Erica Farrell, I like your idea and I think it would be an amazing experience for all of us to spend Christmas vacation together under one roof, so what do you say, Ms. Louella Hawkins?”

“I say.....why not! Let’s do this! Sure beats spending Christmas alone with a bottle of wine and a cat on your lap!”

Erica and Heather immediately hugged each other before splitting up to hug Louella and Mr. Lawrence, thanking them both for their time and went back to class to tell their fellow classmates the good news.

“OK, so how exactly are we going to spread the word of this to the students’ parents? It’s a bit on the late side now to write up ‘permission slips’ or whatever the heck you call them.” Louella asked shortly after the twins had left the office.

“Louella, you truly don’t know Degrassi, do you? No worries, the word will get around the school and before long we’ll see who arrives and who doesn’t the next day. Looks like you and your crew have your work cut out for you! We need to assign sleeping quarters for all of our guests, figure out where we’re going to set up the Christmas Tree and so on....think you guys can handle that?”

Louella looked Mr. Lawrence straight in the eyes with a smile and said, “You bet we are! No job is too big or small for my crew to handle. We’ll have everything figured out, done and sorted before tomorrow morning! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to tell everyone the good news! Right, Emma? Yeah, we’re all going to be spending Christmas together! Yes we are......oh yes we are!!!”

Mr. Lawrence chuckled as Louella left the office.

“Christmas Time at Degrassi......I love it! Why haven’t I thought of that?”

* * *

 

“You guys are seriously not going to believe this, but we’re all going to be celebrating Christmas together for the first time right here at Degrassi!” Louella announced to her crew as she entered the boiler room with baby Emma.

“What?........Louella, you can’t be serious?” said Lou Robbins, perplexed.

“Guys, I think she is serious!” concluded Sue Jenkins. “So, exactly how are we going to have such an event? Who’s all going to be involved? And how will we be able to spread the word in such short notice?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa....one question at a time, Sue. That’s what we’re going to figure out first off, second of all, it’s going to be all of us, the staff, students and their families and this event is going to be spread word of mouth considering how all of this just came up at the last minute so there’s not really enough time to write down notices to be taken home! Now, because of this, we’re not exactly sure just how many students and their families are actually going to arrive here tomorrow, but as a precaution though, I suggest we figure out the sleeping arrangements regardless. As soon as we figure out the plans on paper, then we can move on to setting it all up. Oh shoot, I left Emma’s bassinet up in the main office. I’ve got no place to set Emma down!”

“How did you get Christine’s baby in the first place, Louella?” asked Tammy, motioning to take the baby off Louella’s hands.

“She was causing a fuss in Christine’s class so I offered my services for the remainder of the day to look after her until School’s Out. Now, we really don’t have much time left so let’s get started on figuring out those plans. By the end of the day, we’ve got a lot of work to do setting everything up and getting this place ready for a holiday gathering Degrassi won’t soon forget!”

“Louella, if you’d like, I can run up and get Emma’s bassinet....” Mary Fraser offered.

“Alright Mary, but hurry back! We’ve got lots to do! Now, I think most of the sleeping arrangements should be set up on the second floor of the school.....”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Confirmation and Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The word is out and some students are confirming, others would rather stay at home while another flat out refuses to be involved, period!

“Alright, that’s it for this semester.” Mr. Garcia announced as the bell rang to signify the end of the school year. “For those of you who will be taking part in Degrassi’s first ever Christmas gathering, I’ll be seeing you all later. For those who won’t, then I wish you all a safe and wonderful holiday season. All the best in the coming year and I will see you all back here in January. Class dismissed!”

“This is so exciting! I seriously cannot believe Mr. Lawrence said yes to having this event in the first place! Erica, you are a genius!!” said Lucy as she, Erica, Heather, Liz and Spike walked out of the classroom together and headed towards their lockers.

“Yeah! Word certainly has travelled fast around here, hasn’t it?” said Erica. “But then again, this is Degrassi we’re talking about, of course word travels fast!”

“Oh, there’s Arthur....I’ve been meaning to talk to him before he heads off for the holidays. HEY ARTHUR, COULD YOU COME OVER HERE A MINUTE PLEASE?” Heather called out when she saw the eighth grader exit Mr. Raditch’s class.

“I’ll be right back....” Arthur told his friend Yick as he then made his way over to the Twins locker. “Hey Heather, what’s up?”

“I was hoping to catch you before you left for the holidays. I take it you heard about our Christmas Gathering event?”

“Yes I have, but we’ll have to talk with our Mom first about it.”

“We? Is Stephanie going to be home for the holidays too? It’s been a while since we’ve seen or heard from her.” asked Lucy.

“For sure. Today’s the last day at her Private School so she’ll be making her way home tonight as well. I think what I’ll do is wait for her to arrive, tell her about the event you guys came up with and then talk to Mom. Hopefully it will give us a bit more headway for her to say ‘Yes!’. I’m sure we still have your phone number so we’ll let you know as soon as we can!”

“Alright Arthur, we hope to hear from you guys later on tonight sometime. Thanks a lot!” said Heather as she finally opened up her locker and grabbed her jacket.

“I hope so too....well, see ya!” Arthur replied as he walked back over towards the door where Yick remained, waiting for his friend to return.

“So what did Heather want?” Yick asked as they began making their way down the stairs.

“They wanted to know if my family will be taking part in the Degrassi Christmas Gathering. Are you going to participate as well?”

“I don’t think so....my family doesn’t really celebrate Christmas.”

“Before we go, we gotta stop by the boiler room first to pick Emma up from Louella. Also I have something I need to talk to her about as well.” replied Spike as she put on her coat, mittens and hat before slamming her locker shut.

“No need Christine, here’s Emma all set to go in her bassinet, wrapped up so she won’t catch a cold. You’re not going to be walking home with her in the cold, are you?” Louella asked as she carefully handed the bassinet over to Christine.

“No, I’ve got a ride home with the Twins. They offered me a ride earlier today during our Christmas party.....um, can I, uh, can I have a word with you for a minute, that is, if you’re not too busy?”

“No, I’m not too busy...sure.”

“We’ll be down in the main foyer waiting for you Spike.” Erica announced as she, Lucy, Liz and Heather began down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Christine lead Louella back into Mr. Garcia’s room where Mr. Garcia was still at his desk doing some last minute paperwork.

She sat Emma’s bassinet down on a nearby desk, catching Mr. Garcia’s attention.

“Oh....um, I can uh, leave if you’d like some privacy.” Mr. Garcia offered as he began getting up from his seat. “I had just finished up checking over these papers and was just about to go into the Teachers’ Lounge for a coffee.”

“That’s OK, sir....in fact you could be a witness as to what I’m about to say if you don’t mind?” Spike offered as Mr. Garcia nodded. “Louella, first off I just want to take this moment to thank you.....you know, for everything. For supporting me throughout my pregnancy, for standing up at the P.T.A meeting against all those parents who wanted me kicked out last semester and for being there when I went into sudden labour two months earlier than expected at the graduation dance. Even today, you once again stood up and offered your services to watch over Emma when she was making a fuss during our class party, allowing me to have a bit of a break so I could enjoy myself and be a kid again, if only for a few hours.”

Louella smiled. “It was nothing Christine. I told you once before that if ever you were in need of anything, don’t hesitate to call me. I am here for you. Remember that!”

“Thanks, but that’s not all I wanted to say. Louella, it would be an absolute honour for me if you would be a major part of Emma’s life, as her secondary Godmother!”

For the second time that day, Louella was taken aback, this time in absolute shock over what had just been said.

“Christine.......you.....you really..... mean it? You want me to be Emma’s Godmother?”

“Yes. I’ve already made Liz her first Godmother, I want you to be her second.”

“My gosh, Christine....Yes, I will! I will!!” Louella cried, embracing Christine. “Thank you for letting me be a major part of this child’s life.”

“You’re already a major part of Emma’s life....hers and mine. You deserve it, Louella. You’re so great with her......and to me! Thank you.”

“Here, I have a box of tissues if you need them....” Mr. Garcia chimed in, pushing a box forward on his desk. “And congratulations to you Louella.”

“Thank you so much Montgomery!” Louella gasped as she wiped her eyes. “Wow....I am so overwhelmed with emotion right now. I wasn’t expecting this once so ever. This truly came out of nowhere.”

“It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me. Listen, I’d better go. Don’t want to keep the twins’ parents waiting. I hope to see you tomorrow sometime?” Christine questioned as she did up her jacket and grabbed Emma’s bassinet off the desk.

“You bet! Goodnight Christine, and thank you once again! You’ve truly just made my night!”

Christine waved as she left the room and proceeded down to the main foyer where Heather was waiting.

“Erica’s in the car already. So, what did you talk about with Louella?”

“I just asked her to be a part of Emma’s life as her secondary Godmother.”

“Are you serious, what did she say?”

“She said yes! I literally had her in tears!”

“Spike, no offence here but, why Louella?”

“Because, Louella has always been there for me. She stood up for me at the P.T.A meeting when all those parents wanted me kicked out of this school for being pregnant. She was there when I went into Labour two month premature and then again today she stood up and took care of Emma for nothing, allowing me to finally enjoy the class party without putting parenting priorities first. She didn’t really have to though. She’s truly amazing....not to mention her hairstyle is awesome!”

The girls laughed as they finally left Degrassi.

* * *

 

At the McKay house, Shane was just sitting down to dinner with his very strict and heavily religious parents, Steven and Mary.

Steven McKay was the Minister of a local Anglican Church, a very respectable man that everyone within the congregation often looked up to for spiritual guidance and help with various matters while his wife Mary did her role as your typical, humble ‘minister’s wife’, so obedient and polite to the point where it just made you sick to your stomach!

At least that’s what it was like for Shane.

Often times his own Mother and Father cared more for the people of their church than they did their own flesh and blood, especially after he had broken the news about Spike and how he got her impregnated last year.

Since then, the McKays had officially broken apart at the seams as a result.

Either Mary nor Steven could look Shane in the eye anymore and when they did speak to him, it was cold and heartless, as if he had committed a serious crime that could never be forgiven or forgotten for.

And Shane hated it!

He loved his parents deeply, but it killed him to know they no longer felt the same way.

To them, he was an embarrassment.

A sinner.

Someone they wished could just banish completely from their lives for good and never have to see ever again.

They nearly almost had attempted to do so by sending Shane to a private school called ‘Strathcona’ which he downright refused, fighting tooth and nail to stay at Degrassi.

Thankfully, they had given up on even trying, but as a result, there was barely _ANY_ communication among them at all, especially at the dinner table.

The only sounds heard were the sounds of metal brushing up against glass along with the grandfather clock ticking away in the living room.

It was enough to drive Shane crazy, but tonight he had something to talk about and he hoped his folks would go along with it.

“Mom, Dad....everyone at school wants to spend the Christmas season at Degrassi this year and I want us to be there too...” Shane began.

“Would this have anything to do with that.....that.... _‘THING’_?” Steven McKay countered back with bitterness in his voice. “Cause if so, then absolutely not! I told you Shane, we are not going to be involved in an illegitimate child’s life!”

“Emma is _NOT_ an illegitimate child, Dad. This is your Granddaughter you’re talking about!” Shane argued in defence.

“She is _NOT_ my Granddaughter. I do not _HAVE_ a Granddaughter. Do you understand me?

Now let us never speak of this again. We are having our own holiday gathering as we normally do.....we go to Church on Christmas Eve, have our sermon and candle light services, then we go to Church again first thing Christmas Morning, come home and have our ham and scallop potato dinner. Am I making myself clear?”

Shane didn’t even bother to answer, instead just sat there playing with the food upon his plate.

“Come now Shane, stop playing with your food and eat. Our plans are final. You will come to Church with us and you will pray like everyone else. There is more to Christmas than just fun and games.” Mary advised. “Christ was not born just so you can run around and misbehave with all of your friends. Besides, a school is no place to spend a holy day meant for worship.”

“Says you.” Shane muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” asked Steven.

“I said, says you! You literally suck all the FUN out of Christmas. No decorations, no gifts, nothing. To you, Christmas has to be so serious.....there’s more to life than repenting, praying and holding candles!”

“That’s because Christmas is a serious event. Decorations, gifts, they mean _NOTHING_! The only gift you should be thankful for is having a roof put over your head and food on the table. For some, they don’t even have either of those things!”

Once again, all was quiet as Steven and Mary finished up their meals, Shane however was in no mood to eat anymore so he just sat there moping and shaking his head.

‘Great, how will I be able to give Emma her Christmas present now? They always have to go by the rules of the darn bible. It makes me horribly sick! How did I end up with these heartless, cruel, cold, joy-killers for parents?’ he thought to himself.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Lucy was busy picking out what clothes to wear for the remaining 12 days when her Mother called for her.

“Lucy, phone! It’s for you.....Someone named Erica!” Alice hollered from the stairs.

“Alright Mom, I’ll be down shortly. Let Erica know.” Lucy replied back as she quickly folded a shirt and placed it among the pile of clothes in the suitcase before rushing out of her bedroom to get the phone.

“Hey Erica, what’s up?”

“Hey Lucy, I was just wondering what your parents said to the idea. Is it a yes?”

“It sure is! Tomorrow we’ll be heading over to Degrassi. Is there any specific time to be there?”

“Well, we’ll be heading out first thing tomorrow morning around Nine, maybe Ten tops, so just arrive whenever you feel like it I guess!”

“Alright Erica, I guess we’ll see you around eleven or so? Is that OK? My Mom just nodded yes. So, has anyone else confirmed or are you still going around calling people?”

“Well, so far we have confirmed Spike, Joey, Archie, Derek, Liz for sure is coming, Alexa, Alex Yankou and Lorraine Delacorte. We’re now trying to find the numbers for the other students. Those who have declined are Bartholomew Bond, Bryant Lester Thomas, Amy and Allison, Tessa Campinelli, Simon Dexter, Nancy Kramer, Tim O’Connor, Yick Yu, Kathleen Mead, Luke Matthews, who basically sounded like he was wasted when we called....”

“Probably was!” Lucy laughed.

“Michelle Accette and Maya. We now only have Caitlin Ryan, Melanie Brodie, Shane McKay and Arthur Kobalewscuy to contact and then we’re done. First thing tomorrow, we’ll phone the school to let them know who’s all going to be there and how many people they’ll be bringing along. Speaking of which, how many family members are coming with you Luce?”

“It’s just going to be me, my Mom and my Dad.....that’s it.”

“Alright, that’s perfect! Well, I better let you go! We still have a few more people to contact before we call it a night! We’ll talk to you tomorrow when you come to the school! See you later!”

“Bye Erica, and good luck.” Lucy said as she then hung up the phone and turned to her folks who were sitting on the couch watching some holiday special on TV. “Well, so far the Twins have seven plus us confirmed for tomorrow which is good. They still have four more students to contact....mostly from the eighth grade.”

“That’s good Lucy but um.....is there a certain reason as to why your friends came up with such an event? Why you’re all wanting to celebrate the holidays at Degrassi instead of being at home where it actually should be?” asked Alice.

“Mom, please don’t get mad alright.....there is a reason why we’re doing this. You remember Spike, right?”

“The girl who got knocked up last year.....what about her?” Mr. Fernandez questioned.

“Well, I think she’s feeling rather down about the holiday season....she didn’t exactly tell me why that was....she only told the twins and Liz about it....and that’s why Erica came up with this plan to celebrate Christmas at Degrassi in hopes it would cheer her up. Now, I know you guys had an issue with Spike being at school while she was pregnant, but Spike is one of my friends and fellow classmates and I really would like all of us to be there none the less. I hope this doesn’t change your mind.”

“Of course not Lucy. If you want to be there, we’ll be there. We’ll even pitch in and help Christine with a few gifts if a bit of shopping is involved, but just know we’re not going to go completely overboard crazy though...”

“Thanks Mom!” Lucy sighed as she hugged her Mother. “I’ve got to head back upstairs and finish packing.”

“Alright sweetie, we should also get started on packing ourselves. If we said we’ll be arriving at Degrassi around eleven or so, there really won’t be much time in the morning to do so, right?”

“Right, especially if all of us need to freshen up a bit first before going. Also, we should pack up the gifts and take them with us as well.....at least one good thing about this even is, most of my friends will be able to see what I got for Christmas! I can’t wait! This is going to be the bestest Christmas ever!”

With that said, Lucy headed back up to her room to continue packing.

* * *

 

The next morning, all was a hustle and bustle at the Farrell Household as Heather, Erica and their parents were getting ready to head off to Degrassi Junior High School.

“Ugh, why do we always wait til the last minute to pack up our things?” asked Heather as she struggled to close her suitcase.

“I still have to call up the school to let them know who’s all coming....and it’s getting close to Eight Thirty! We are _SO_ not going to make it there before Nine!” confirmed Erica as she was still busy going through her wardrobe. “We’re also going to include New Years, right?”

“I thought this was only a Christmas gathering? You want to extend it up to New Years’ now?”

“Yeah, 12 days does include the New Year, does it not? We could even have a dance to ring it in! Just think.....at the stroke of midnight, we could find that certain someone and have that romantic midnight kiss!”

“Oh Erica....do you always have to think about boys? Besides, good luck finding anyone actually suitable for kissing anyways judging by this list of confirmed guests.....Joey Jeremiah, Archie Simpson, Derek Wheeler, Arthur Kobalewscuy, Alex Yankou.......not really much of a selection if you ask me!” exclaimed Heather.

“Well, maybe one of our fellow classmates has a cute cousin or hot nephew coming along for the ride. What dress should I bring? Ah.....this one will be perfect!”

“Didn’t you wear that dress last year for New Years?”

“Shoot....thanks for reminding me Heather. OK, what about this one?”

“You just wore that dress at the last dance we had in October....here, what about this dress that you hardly ever wear that you bought over the summer?”

“That’s perfect! Thanks Heather!!”

“No problem...now I’ve got to find a dress to wear myself if we’re going to extend this event up till New Years!”

“Alright, you do that Heather, and I’ll give Doris Bell a call to confirm the guest list. By the time I’m done, hopefully you’ll be all packed up and we’ll finally be able to head off! See you downstairs!!” Erica replied as she grabbed the list as well as her suitcase, nearly almost tipping over from the weight of it and carefully began to make her way towards the stairwell. “Mom, Dad, I’m going to call the school now to confirm the guest list.....once that’s done, hopefully Heather is done her packing so we can finally head off!”

“OK sweetie. We’re almost done packing up ourselves.” Mrs. Farrell replied as Erica dropped her suitcase by the door and then picked up the phone, dialing the number to Degrassi.

After a few rings, Doris answered the phone.

“Hey Doris, it’s Erica calling to let you know who’s all going to show up for the event. OK, we have The Jeremiahs, The Simpson family, The Wheelers, Caitlin’s family, Melanie and her Mom, Lucy and her folks, Liz and her mother, The Kaye family, The Pappadopolos’ and Alexa has informed me she’s got quite a few family members coming with her....about six to be exact, The Yankous and the Delacortes. Yes....I believe that is all. Alright then, we’ll see you shortly. We’re just packing up our things now....alright, bye Doris.”

Heather finally came down with her suitcase along with Mr. And Mrs Farrell.

“Alright, I believe we’ve got everything packed....how many days are we staying at the school?” Mr. Farrell asked as he put down their suitcase next to Erica’s.

“Twelve days, Dad. We’ll be spending Christmas as well as the New Year’s there. I hope everyone else brings along something nice to wear for that night!” Erica replied as she grabbed her coat off the hook and put it on.

“Alright, we’ve got our things packed.....what about our presents? We’ve packed them up in a box, right?” Mr. Farrell asked as he looked around.

“Yes Dad!” Heather and Erica replied as they pointed towards the tree where the box filled with presents sat.

“Ah, there it is! OK, We’re going to start up the car and put these in the trunk.....meet you out there and don’t be too long! We’ve got to be going soon!”

“Alright Dad!” Heather said as she began to get her jacket on. “This is going to be so awesome Erica! Our first Christmas with all our friends and classmates, as well as our teachers! Oh, did you call Spike last night to confirm if she’s coming? After all, this event is for her and Emma.....”

“Yes...she has confirmed. No worries! Come on....let’s go!”

They both headed out the door, making sure it was locked behind them before heading towards the car, hopping into the backseat!

“You girls buckled up and ready to go?” Mr. Farrell announced as he gave the car one more rev of the engine.

The twins nodded as the vehicle then shifted into reverse onto the road.

“OK, Degrassi Junior High, here we come!!!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
